Willow Lake - Closed Beta
by Winter Cheshire
Summary: The prequel to Ryuuko - Fallen Blade. What happened in the months before the game became open to the public? Before all the drama of Ryuuko - Fallen Blade? Want to know exactly how Akemi and Kazuto met in game?
1. Prologue - Willow Lake

**Prologue: Willow Lake**

* * *

"Hey all you gaming fanatics!" Three girls sat in a high school club room, listening to the internet news report on the gaming channel as they waited for a few others to arrive. "I hear there's a new secret that everyone's psyched up about in the gaming world~! Wanna hear what it is~?"

"Of course it's the beta of Willow Lake." A girl with pale brown hair smiled, her long bangs pinned back with a bow hairclip and an ever-present smile plastered on her face. Her skin was pale but flawless, like a porcelain doll. Her body type was fairly thin, and well proportioned, her chest relatively small. Her eyes were closed at the moment.

"That's right~! Willow Lake's Beta is finally out of development, and anyone who's been selected to be a part of this closed beta gets their copy tomorrow!"

"It's technically tonight at 11:45, but whatever." Sitting across from the first was a girl with shoulder-length black hair that sat in a princess cut with softly fringed bangs. Her slightly tanned skin and hazel eyes setting her apart from her two companions. Leaning her chin on her hand as she looked at her phone, the girl could only sigh in annoyance. "Exactly 8 hours from now… where the hell are they? We were supposed to start club already."

"Calm down… they'll be here…"the girl who sat farthest away from the television had freshly cut plum-colored hair that came up relatively short in the back, but her front fringes fell slightly past her shoulders, her bangs falling into her face. She had relatively pale skin, much like her first friend, but was not quite as thin and ha much larger chest. Her glasses caught the light as she adjusted them, her expression remaining blank with lavender orbs stared at the monitor as the door opened. "There, see?" she stated.

"Sorry we're late~!" two boys walked in, carrying boxes of what looked like old computer parts and circuit boards. "Here you go, Akemi." The boy with dark brown hair grinned, placing the box he was carrying in front of the glasses girl. "Hopefully Makoto can make use of these scraps." He winked at the plum haired girl with his reddish-brown eyes.

"You know he will, Hibiya." She stated. "And stop flirting, go wink at Hiwa." She added, causing the other boy in the room to laugh, Hiwa's face to turn bright red, and Hibiya to back up, covering his mouth with the heel of his hand. "See? Just go do it. I want to see her faint."

"I won't faint from that~" Hiwa chuckled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "He'd need to steal a kiss and be much more explicit~"

"Oi oi, don't talk about this in front of me." The second boy was older by a few years. He had pale brown hair to match the girl he stood next to, his captivating blue eyes a real stunning feature. "I'm her brother, you know."

"You're also the only one who's a legal adult, Taku-chi." Hibiya slapped the brunette's back, grinning.

"Oh, a brotherly romance going on between you two?" Hiwa grinned. "Don't steal all the boy's hearts, Takuto~" Hiwa giggled. "Neee, Hana~?" she turned to her friend across the table from her as Akemi continued to stare at the screen.

"Why are you asking me?" Hana asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Because I hear you have a fanclub~!"

"Wh-whaa-?!" Hana fell out of her chair. "When did you hear about tha-!?"

"Shh." Akemi silenced her two friends when the woman on screen began announcing something.

"The character design for this game is pretty complex, right?" she was interviewing one of the team members from Willow Lake's character development crew. "And many of the special class items are only attainable via quest completion?"

"That's correct. And stats of said items are dependent on completion percentage."

"Seems almost unfair doesn't it?"

"No, not at all. The stats feature will be modified if it is too difficult for the beta players. This is simply a test run to see if we made it too complicated. If all runs smoothly, we will release the feature with the open server sometime next year."

"Thinking ahead, aren't they…" Hibiya said, snapping Akemi out of her daze. "Well, let's get club started, then we can go home!"

"Even though it's still hours before we're sent our copies?" Akemi asked, Hibiya nodding. She sighed a little, the group all sitting down in their proper seats.

"Alright, so let's start with overview of the semester's events." Hibiya stated, Hiwa handing him the papers that he almost forgot to look at. Once they'd gone over everything else that they had to, including things such as how to keep in contact after the year was over, he turned to Akemi. "Finances are…?" he seemed almost afraid of the answer.

"Finances are stable, everything remains in the black, and if we're lucky we will be able to fund pizza and drinks for the entirety of next year, so long as the person who takes over after me doesn't blow everything." The girl replied. You could see Hibiya visually relax at her words, a look of relief crossing his face now that he knew he hadn't depleted the year's money.

"Good, take note and give it to the advisor for next year. Oh, and give Hiwa a copy too, since she's next year's president."

"Ehehe, yes I am, aren't I~?" the girl opened her eyes to look over at Akemi. "Please make it easy to understand, Ake~"

"You're smarter than me with numbers, if you weren't the only one younger you'd have my position." The glasses girl sighed. "Don't let the club die, okay?" she said, glancing back up at Hiwa after placing the papers down.

"I promise I'll do everything I can to keep it going~"

"Alright, then that concludes the meeting~!" Hibiya cheered, standing on his chair and putting his foot up on the table, ending up falling backwards and almost knocking Takuto down with him. "Owwwww…" he complained, sitting up.

"You alright?" Akemi had stood up from her seat to check on him. Despite this happening almost every time, Akemi always checked on him after a fall. Hiwa seemed a little bit miffed, but her ever present smile masked it to everyone except Akemi. The group cleared out of the room, Hiwa walking in the same direction as Akemi to the grocery store.

"You know you know." Hiwa smiled, linking arms with Akemi. "You're so mothering, people might start mistaking you for Hibiya's girlfriend~"

"Don't pull that bull with me, Hiwa." Akemi grumbled, letting the girl cling to her. "If you want him, go make a move on him." She stated. "You know Hibiya's not my type… besides, in case you hadn't noticed, he's got a MASSIVE crush on you…" the glasses girl added. "Not to mention, if anyone is getting mistaken for a couple, it's because you insist on walking like this." She stated sternly, Hiwa grinning at her friend's expression.

"Averted eyes and a slight rosy blush~ Do you have a crush on me, Ake~?"

"Don't start that again." Akemi grumbled as they made it to the grocery store. "We go online tonight, so make sure you sleep before we log on."

"Don't worry, Ake~ I have my email notification on so I'll wake up when the copy comes in~ And I'll be ready to dive~"

"Riiight…" Akemi sighed, going to get some veggies and cream for cream stew as Hiwa picked out some of their favorite drinks to add to the basket. "Just don't forget that we're going for the Chi-user class. So no screw ups, right?"

"Right~" Hiwa grinned. "Ake-nee is sooo cool when she gets into a game~"

"There you go again…" the girl smiled as she let her friend put the drinks into the basket. "Just another ploy to get your dinner."

"Ehehe, well we are a pair of foxes~" Hiwa chuckled. "One of us a cunning trickster with a cute smile and a knack for playing mind games, and the other a hottie with the biggest boobs and cutest face in school, hiding that sharp wit and a dangerous set of claws~" Hiwa grabbed Akemi's chest, causing the girl to blush before she swatted her friend's hands away. "Awww, Akeeeemiiiii." She giggled and chased her friend to the register.

"Having fun you two?" The old woman at the register laughed. "Always behaving like this, it's almost like a puppy trying to get the attention of an old hound."

"Yay~! I'm the puppy~!" Hiwa smiled as she latched herself onto Akemi's waist. "Ake-nee is the oooold hound~"

"Yeah yeah, get off. I need my wallet." Akemi said, tapping Hiwa's head before she let go, retrieving her wallet and paying for the groceries. "Have a nice night." She called to the old woman, who waved with a smile as the girls left.

The pair arrived at Akemi's apartment, no one home. "Aww, no cutie pie Mako-kun to play with?"

"Oi oi." Akemi growled. "Don't talk like that about my kid brother."

"Ooooh, scary scary~ Ake-nee is so angry~"

"Shut up. Go after your man and leave Makoto out of it." Akemi stated, placing the groceries on the counter and beginning to furiously make their meal, Hiwa chuckling at just how protective Akemi was over her little brother.

"Aww, I'm sorry… I was just poking fun." Hiwa pouted cutely, but it didn't phase Akemi at all. "Aww, Ake don't be mad. You know I don't go for younger boys…"

"I'm annoyed, not mad." She replied simply, working on the stew. "Just sit down, would you? And check the news."

"Yes, of course~" she nodded, smiling cheerfully. Once the two were done with dinner and Takuto came to take Hiwa home, it was about 6:30pm. Akemi laid down for a nap… in a few hours, it would be time for the Willow Lake Beta to come online.

* * *

((For those of you who read Ryuuko - Fallen Blade, here's the prequel~

This will only be a 5 or so chapter thing I will be doing to give more background for the characters and relationships from the Beta.

Please look forward to it~ ; v ;

-Winter Cheshire))


	2. Chapter One - Veggie Spread

**Level One: Veggie Spread**

* * *

Akemi woke up to an alarm that was set for 11:40. She sat up and turned off the music that played with her clock, rubbing her eyes and grabbing her glasses as she let her body come back into consciousness. She woke her computer from it's slumber and checked the clock. "Three more minutes…" she muttered, noting that the others were all online and no doubt preparing their computer systems. She checked her phone, seeing a message from her brother.

"Have fun." It was short and fairly blunt, but it still made the girl smile. She messaged back, taking a breath to calm herself. She knew Makoto really wanted to play this game, but he was in no condition to be gaming right now. He had a headcold, and he was feeling really sick. But since he had been the one to recommend this game to her, she felt almost bad. Makoto had given Akemi his slot number to hold onto, and he would have been the one waiting for the beta to come in.

"Still wish you were diving, not me… you're the game pro, kiddo… Miss you, sleep well." She sent the message, receiving an almost immediate response.

"Just go in and kick some ass for me, then."

"Hehe… atta boy, Makoto." She smiled, putting her phone down as the seconds ticked down. The clock struck 11:45, and not a second later, the inbox pinged. It was here. Akemi opened the email and clicked on the character creator. She picked a long, black-haired female base, making the hair longer than the origin base and having it be wavy, deciding to keep her lavender eyes and inputting her normal character type. Slim, busty, and with a nice hourglass figure. Her basic gear was a kimono-sleeved black top, a pleated black skirt, tall black boots, and a black fox mask. When she was satisfied, she smiled and saved, going to pull her nerve gear from the shelf and putting it on, having plugged it all in to let it warm up before she took her nap after dinner. "Here we go." She sighed, taking her glasses off and turning off her night-stand light, having placed her glasses aside and put the Nerve Gear over her head, laying back on her pillow. She closed her eyes and took a breath, uttering those 2 simple words that were about to change everything.

* * *

"Link Start."

* * *

Upon opening her eyes again, Akemi was now staring at a welcome panel. She clicked the blue button with the circle inside, and received her starter gear. A simple armor set, a basic weapon, some money, and her quest list for being a Chi-User. As she read over her item and personal stats, she was latched to by a white-haired woman. "I fouuunnddd youuuuu~" she turned to see a white fox mask and that ever present smile she knew all too well. She looked at the message that told her who this person was. "Black Fox~ Hellooo in there~?"

"White Fox… get off…" she sighed, noting that Hibiya's signature gaming avatar was standing present in red with a smile. "And stop grinning." She added to Hibiya, earning a laugh.

"Sorry sorry, you two just look so alike… it's like two versions of the same avatar."

"That was the plan~" White Fox chuckled. "So, we're both Chi-Users right? We can go find our first quest?" she asked the blackette, the other girl nodding. "Great~! Let's go~!"

"Well, I'll see you guys later." Hibiya ran off.

"As always." Black Fox managed to get White Fox off of her. "That boy is a solo player to his core… I don't see what's so appealing…" she stated to her friend, the girl just smiling and turning away.

"But he's sooo cool, Ake~ Don't you want a boyfriend like that~?"

"No. Hibiya reminds me of a big brother figure."

"But you've never had a big brother."

"And you're telling me you don't think he behaves like a hyper version of Takuto?"

"… Well…" she turned back to her friend with a smile. "That's kind of weird~" the pair headed out to the main grassland area just outside of town to train up, and make sure they were ready to take on their quests. But they soon noticed someone sharing their training area; a boy with black hair and a sword who was training against some boars. White Fox caught her friend staring at the boy, sensing an opportunity to make mischief and dragging her friend over to the kid. "Hello over there~" she called, the boy turning to reveal a strangely youthful face.

"Um… hi?" he looked very skeptical of the person approaching; soon noting that she was not alone. The one in black was almost like a shadow of the one in white, both hiding behind fox masks and looking eerily similar. "Can I… help you?"

"No no, just checking in to see who you were~" White Fox grinned. "You've got a great techique~ Neee, Black Fox?"

"… Yes…" she nodded, bowing to the boy. "I'm very sorry we interrupted you."

"Oh, no it's okay." He said. At least this one was more polite. "Um… I'm gonna get back to training if that's okay."

"Yes, of cour-"

"Nooo, no no." White Fox shook her head. "That is NO way for a first meeting of fate to go!"

"Oi, White Fox." Black Fox sighed at her friend. She turned back to the boy. "I am very sorry for her behavior… she likes to think she is a matchmaker." She explained. "I'm Black Fox… this is my partner, White Fox." She introduced.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kirito." He replied, offering the girl a hand to shake, which she accepted. He then shook White Fox's hand and was pulled into her relatively small chest. "Whoa-!"

"He's sooo cute, Black Fox~" White Fox cooed, earning a slap to the head from her partner.

"Don't do that." She shook her head, dusting Kirito off and apologizing again.

* * *

These sort of antics went on for a while, and eventually the pair finished their level one Chi-User quests. Black Fox and White Fox were now heading to meet up with Hibiya when they ran into Kirito again. "Oh, Kirito-kun~" White Fox latched onto the boy, noting that Black Fox looked a little miffed and enjoying her partner's jealousy. "Want to come have a meal with us~?"

"What?"

"We're going to meet up with White Fox's hubby." Black Fox stated, causing White Fox to be startled by the comment and going to scold her friend. "If you grope me, woman, I swear I'll make you go see him alone."

"Nooo, I'm sorry I'm sorry~"

"Ummm… what?"

"Ignore her." Black Fox told the boy, prying White Fox off and turning back to the boy. "She's just being weird, as always."

"Huh… okay." He nodded. "But food sounds good, I think my stamina is running low." He checked his meter. If only for a meal, he'd get to know them a little better. Why he wanted to, though, was unknown even to him. Something inexplicably was drawing him to the girl in black.

* * *

After a short while, Black Fox was more than fed up with White Fox's antics, and decided to ditch her friend and let her eat alone with Hibiya, ending up with Kirito at the pub across town. But their food was extremely limited, so Black Fox just ordered some bread and meat, Kirito ordering some stew. The woman then pulled out a jar and placed it on the table, opening it and releasing a nice herbal scent. "What's that?" Kirito asked.

"It's Vegetable Spread, from the Chi User quest on this level." She stated, offering him a piece of the bread with the mixture on it. "Try it." She stated, eating a piece. "It's pretty good… the sensory network is fairly advanced in this game." The boy accepted and bit into the bread, eyes going wide.

"Whoa!" he looked shocked, causing Black Fox to jump a little at his sudden reaction. "This is good!" he demolished the bread in a few seconds, Black Fox offering more.

"It's okay, you can have more." She stated, noting his hesitation. "This stuff is available to me in a store if I need more… I don't mind sharing."

"… If you're sure." He mumbled, taking another piece and eating it slightly slower, looking almost embarrassed about his outburst. Black Fox pondered on his behavior, thinking that he must be pretty young to get embarrassed like this about enjoying food. "Thank you." He stated after he finished eating.

"No problem." She smiled a little. "So, you said you were a swordsman? Are you going to keep that classification, or go into the Knight Class?"

"I'll probably get into the Knight Class, after I get my skills up high enough." He stated, looking like he was glad to talk about stats and all that. "And you're a Chi-User right? Which Protocol are you going after?"

"Black, probably." She stated, chuckling as she motioned down to her outfit. "It's going to be pretty tough but I don't mind the challenge." She chuckled, the pair continuing to talk the night away, soon checking the time and saying their goodbyes. "See you again sometime?" she asked.

"We'll see." He waved as she logged out, getting up to log out as well. He thought that it was strange, but he actually seemed to enjoy that girl's company. And she seemed to have a lot of insights into this game, so he was almost looking forward to seeing her again. At least… so long as her friend kept her hands to herself. He opened his log out panel, confirming his decision with the push of a little blue button.

* * *

Akemi awoke to see the white numbers on her clock. 4am… she removed the Nerve Gear and placed it on the shelf, almost giddy with excitement. She normally sucked at making friends in games, and since this one was likely somewhere around Makoto's age, she wanted to let him know. Her brother was, however, asleep at this hour. She resolved to visit him later. For now, she closed her eyes and went into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, at a hospital, a boy with dark plum-grey hair and pale purple-grey eyes was sitting up, coughing and hacking. He sniffled, leaning back against the headboard and picking up his water, drinking it down in one long chug. His sniffling and coughing subsided a little and he took a deep breath. "… Nee-san is so lucky…" he mumbled. "But at least there was someone to take the beta code…" he told himself, his breathing rather shallow. "She'd better come and tell me all about it…"

* * *

A pale-brown haired girl sat up in bed, face bright red. She'd just had a technical, in-game "date" with Hibiya. It was awkward as could be and the two were left in silence most of the time. But it was okay, she'd gotten to spend some time alone with him. As embarrassed as she was, she was still thankful that Akemi had run off with Kirito. But that got her thinking. "Ake-nee is going into some dangerous territory, spending alone time with a boy that young." She sighed. "Oh well~ As long as she's smiling and still easy to embarrass~"

* * *

A young boy, only 13, sat up from his first dive into Willow Lake's Closed Beta. He removed his nerve gear and flopped back down onto his bed, taking a breath. "Back here… boring old reality…" he mumbled, glancing at the clock before putting his arm over his eyes. "… I want to go back already…"

* * *

((Here's Chapter One~ o v o

I needed a break from the intensity of writing the AGSO arc of my story, and from rewatching GGO's episodes. Hope you guys like it ; v ;''

If there are errors, please pardon them. I've got the sicky germs, you see ; 3 ;''

I still greatly appreciate reviews~

-Winter Cheshire))


	3. Chapter Two - Dating

**Level Two: Dating**

* * *

 _One month into the Closed Beta of Ryuuko:_

"Hey, Akemi~!" Hiwa ran over to her friend as she was about to leave the school gates. "I've gotta pass on tonight's mission, I just got asked out on a date~!"

"A date…?" she asked, tilting her head. "Um… okay…? But you know that means I have to go solo…" she grumbled, feeling kind of annoyed. Hiwa was messing around on Hibiya now? Greeeeat… She didn't know what to do now.

"Yeah, I know you think I'm dumb." She chuckled. "Bye, Ake~!" Hiwa just ran off and left Akemi in her dust, as always… but once she was gone, the girl with glasses sighed.

"Idiot, what are you doing?" she asked, before she headed home. She entered her apartment and turned on the lights. "Guess I gotta go find someone to run the dungeon with me-" she paused. She thought it over. "Oh my god… you little…" she sighed, feeling like an idiot. "She KNEW he was the only one I could ask…" she leaned back onto a wall, staring at the ceiling. "… Well, no use moping over it." She shook her head. "Dinner first… then a bath… then I guess I'll go and find him…" she told herself before she went to get some ingredients from her fridge. Prepped potato croquettes, carrots, celery, potatoes, chicken… and the curry blocks of course… She sighed. "Makoto, I hope you want curry tomorrow…" she thought, smiling before she began cooking.

Once she was done eating and she finished her bath, Akemi had dried her hair and looked at her Nerve Gear. "… Well, here goes nothing." She shook her head, putting on the helmet and closing her eyes as she dove in to the game again.

* * *

 _Willow Lake Beta: Level 22_

Black Fox looked around, seeing the fountain she'd logged off next to. But to her surprise, she saw Kirito standing there. "Hey." He waved. "You ready to go on that mission?"

"How did you…?" she blinked, pausing. "Did White Fox message you?" she asked.

"Yeah she said she had a thing with her friend, so she asked me to step in and help you out."

"Goddamnit." Black Fox hunched over, looking bothered. "What an idiot."

"Something wrong?"

"No don't worry… its an IRL problem… White Fox is being weird, is all…" she added. "Let's go, then… don't wanna waste the light."

"Right." He nodded, wondering for a moment if she was okay. She seemed a little angry with her partner… But for now he was just going to go along with her and make sure she didn't screw up. White Fox hinted at him that Black Fox was kind dealing with a family issue and that she was a little upset recently. So Kirito told himself that, even if just for a bit, he'd try and help her out. She was a nice enough person, after all… as much as he'd wanted to solo the game, some of the stuff he came across and the skills he wanted to attain required help from an outside party. One skill in particular required a summoner. "Hey, can I ask you something?" he questioned as they headed over to the dungeon.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asked.

"When we're done with your quest, can you help me out with one?"

"Oh, sure." She nodded. "The summoner-related quest with that special sword skill?"

"Uh… yeah, how did you know?"

"Haha, I've got a kid brother who plays games. That was the first thing he told me about when he started talking about this game with me." She smiled. First time in a while he'd seen her smile, so he smiled back. "… He kinda wanted to be here…"

"Oh, so… you're here on your brother's recommendation?"

"Yeah…" she nodded. "Anyway, let's go. Seriously, can't waste the daylight." She smiled, Kirito nodding before he followed her to the dungeon where the quest was waiting. "If I remember right, both of our quests actually are in the same dungeon… just on separate plains…" she brought up a player map. "Yeah, yours is over there…" she pointed it out on the map. "And mine is in the floor above… so how about we take care of yours first, then jump straight into mine after?"

"Are you sure? We're originally here for your quest."

"I don't care." Black Fox laughed a little at Kirito and pat his head as they walked up to the dungeon door. "Besides, you got dragged in when it was supposed to be my partner helping me out." She added. "So I'll return the favor right now by helping you get that skill."

"Alright, thanks." He nodded, smiling. He got this sense of something from Black Fox. It was almost like she was protecting him? No… more like she was doing it subconsciously… They entered the dungeon and wandered around for a bit until they arrived at the door to Kirito's quest plain.

"Well, here's the door." She stated. "I think it'll be better if you stand back…" she stated. "I bet there's a real good reason waiting behind this door for a summoner to be necessary for completing this quest."

"Alright." He nodded, letting her stand in front, watching her take a deep breath, her ample bust rising with her shoulders before she pushed the door open, preparing her summoning magic for the battle they were both anticipating. But as she opened the door, a message appeared. "Huh…?"

"Dear summoner. Your magic has been altered for this special dungeon. While you are inside of it, you will only be able to perform two special summonings. One to change your appearance, into one of your Summoning Archtype's animal familiars. The other will be to create "wings". Do you still wish to enter this dungeon? If so, please enter the name of the person you are trying to enter the dungeon with, and we shall begin the trial." There was a keypad entry section, and she clicked on it to enter Kirito's name, not hesitating at all. "Welcome to the Hidden Dungeon of the Speed Demon Trial." The doors closed them in and the room was dark.

"So… your magic properties got changed huh?"

"Yeah, it's weird…" she pondered. "But… hey, gives me a chance to try something new~" she stated. "Let's see, what does the memory bank say?" she asked, opening it up. She found the spell directory, staring at it and memorizing the two spells she had access to now. "Oooh… okay, I got it." She nodded. "So I can turn into a wolf… and I can make wings… but why do we need wings?" she was trying to figure it out when Kirito noticed something slinking around in the shadows.

"Hey, something's here."

"Huh?" Black Fox barely dodged an attack. "Oh, crap! That was close…" She went to stand next to Kirito. The attacks kept coming, but neither one could figure out where the enemy was. "This is bad… one false step and we're skewered…" she stated. "I'm gonna use my first spell, so cover me while the timer for my transformation runs out."

"Right." He nodded, getting in front of Black Fox, readying his sword to deflect anything coming their way. As though on some cue, the attacks came out of nowhere, but only from one direction. There were just so many, but Kirito was still blocking them all.

"Chamber of Oblivion, I call thy name in accordance with the law of Hidden Dungeons!" a huge black magic circle spewing shadowy symbols formed underneath Black Fox. "Grant my request and give my new form solidity as I require it!" the shadows swirled and enveloped her before the timer began, Kirito still blocking attacks for her. He smiled, knowing that he wasn't going to last much longer. But the second the timer punched to 0, he moved aside, the attack he'd let through missing it's target and ending up getting stuck in the floor, causing the tool that was behind the high speed hits to stop. The "well oiled machine" had been jammed. Emerging from the black shadows was a black wolf paw, then a head… it was Black Fox… well, more like a black wolf, but her player ID confirmed it. It was her.

"Man, that's some crazy magic." Kirito muttered as Black Fox ran into the shadows, like she could see where her opponent was, and began growling and tearing up whatever or whoever it had been. When it was done, the magic wore off and Black Fox returned to normal, carrying a key.

"Here's the key to move forward to the next room." She smiled. "Shall we?"

* * *

 _Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture – Next morning_

"No way, you two cleared it!?" Hibiya exclaimed, Hiwa and Hana staring at Akemi as she ate her bentou. "You and Kirito cleared both quests?! I-in just one night?!"

"Yeah…" she looked up at her friends. "Why…?"

"That's insane…" Hibiya fell back into his seat. "You two are crazy…"

"Told you he was a good person to go with~" Hiwa smiled cheerfully.

"But, weren't YOU supposed to go with her, Hiwa?" Hana asked, making the girl with pale brown hair pause and turn away. "YOU WERE." She slammed her hands on the table. "So where did you go instead?"

"Well." Hiwa put on her composed smiling mask and crossed one leg over the other. "I thought I'd go have some fun on the town. That's all. What were YOU doing last night, Hana? You're playing that GSO game aren't you?"

"Calm down you two." Akemi sighed. "Hiwa, stop pretending to be a badass, it's not good for your personality." She whacked Hiwa's head and made the girl pout at her. "Hana, don't get that far into Hiwa's personal life in front of a boy. Not cool." She hit Hana's shoulder, the girl grumbling but agreeing to it. Hibiya was still in shock about hearing that Kirito and Black Fox had gotten through those dungeons so easily. "Anyway." She sat forward in her seat. "What was I saying…? Oh, right. So after we beat the plain boss and Kirito got his skill, we headed up to the floor where my summoner quest was."

* * *

 _Willow Lake Beta: Level Thirty-Eight – One Week Later_

Kirito was sitting with Black Fox, since she was done training up her skills and was waiting for White Fox. "Honestly, that girl…" she grumbled. Kirito was sitting next to her, since he didn't think it would be cool to ditch her after she'd just given him the special item drop from the dungeon they'd been in. It was a special sword, one that he didn't think he'd get from the chance item drop on the first try. But Black Fox had technically gotten it, and he'd offered to pay her too. But instead she just gifted him the item, no questions asked. He wanted to ask, but he didn't think it would be too cool to do that… she probably did it cause she had no need for it… summoners had no need for weapons. He just told himself she was being nice, and shook the thought off.

"Your partner loves to be late, huh?"

"Here, irl, doesn't matter what it's for or where it is… White Fox LOVES to make people wait for her." She stated, sitting up as she heard the girl's voice.

"Blaaaack Fooooox~!"

"Speak of the devil." She looked over and stood up. "You're late, White Fox."

"Soooorrry~" she giggled. "I was looking to give you some time alone with your black knight." she whispered to the blackette, nudging her arm.

"I'm gonna hit you." Black Fox growled, swatting at her friend, only to miss and get tripped into Kirito, who caught her. "Thanks, give me a sec." she stated, dusting him off before she went after White Fox and ended up whacking her in the back of the head. "And THAT is what you get."

"Maaan, you so violent sometimes." She scolded her friend, laughing soon after though.

"I have to be with a renegade girl like you backing me up." She said, Whit Fox giggling and hugging onto her. "Now get off, we have missions to go on."

"Yes ma'am~!" she jumped off and went to hug onto Kirito. "Soooo, let's go Mister Confident~!" she laughed and pulled him along, Black Fox sighing and trailing behind them as they headed up towards the dungeon where they were going to go after another quest together.

* * *

((Finished another chapter ; u ; Hope you like it...

As always I look forward to reviews, and next time I hope to input some conversation between Makoto and Akemi at the hospital~

-Winter Cheshire))


	4. Chapter Three - Emotional Turmoil

**Level Three: Emotional Turmoil**

* * *

 _Tokyo Hospital – 9am_

Akemi walked into the hospital, waving at some nurses or doctors walking by, stopping at the reception counter. "Welcome back, Akemi-chan~" the woman smiled at the girl. "Makoto-kun was asking for you, go on in."

"Thank you, Umi-san." she bowed her head before heading down the hall to her brother's hospital room. She took a moment to stand at the door, running her fingers over the name plate silently before she spoke. "Makoto?"

"Come in." she heard him cough, calming herself down before walking inside, smiling. He was sitting on the chair by the window, playing video games on a handheld console. "Morning, Nee-san."

"Morning." she chuckled, petting his head and placing her bag down. "Feeling better yet?"

"I'll be better after I eat... you have the leftovers?" he asked, making her smile. He paused his game and looked up at her. "... What?" he pouted a little at her.

"Nothing." she chuckled. "I'm just glad you're feeling well enough to demand your food." she knelt in front of her brother, looking up at him. "I missed you, Makoto."

"... You're so weird." he was blushing a little and averting his gaze from his sibling. Not that she minded. Her brother was always like this. "Quit doting so much, it's awkward." he added, tousling her hair until it was a mess.

"Hehe, okay okay." she smiled, hugging him. "I'll try." she really couldn't help but dote on her brother the way she did. In her eyes, there was no immediate family to speak of... sure their Aunt and Uncle were around, but... with their mother having passed away years before and their father always away on business, she took it upon herself to be her brother's caretaker... his protector... "What game are you playing?" she asked, perching herself on the arm of his chair.

"Nevermind this game, how's Willow Lake?" he asked, putting his game aside. "Did you get to do anything interesting recently?"

"Ehehe, actually yeah~ a couple of nights ago I went on that quest you told me about for a friend of mine, and we got through it and my summoner quest in one night~" she smiled. "I think you'd like Kirito, you know~ He's pretty similar to you. I'd assume he's around your age... oh, and he's a sword user too~" she smiled. Makoto listened as the girl described Kirito in vivid detail. He'd never seen her this happy about meeting someone online... it was kind of weird. But he smiled a little.

"Glad you're enjoying it." he said, reaching up to pet her head. "So… was there anything else?"

"What do you mean?"

"You talk about this guy like he's the coolest thing ever, do you have a crush on him?" he asked simply, Akemi laughing a little. "What?"

"Makoto, I'm sure he's your age, I'd get in trouble if I liked him."

"It's online, no one cares." He replied.

"… Well." She tousled her brother's hair and smooshed him in a hug. "I care… If I do like him, I haven't noticed yet."

"Well figure it out." Makoto grumbled. "Cause I want to meet him in game so I can assess him."

"Haha, you're always so protective. You take after Aya." Akemi said cheerfully, letting him out of the hug. "Even the gaming thing, you and Aya are more like siblings than even we are."

"Everyone at the hospital thought you were my girlfriend for like, 3 weeks… no one thought we were siblings except that doctor who was taking care of me." He sighed. "Besides, I don't want to be Aya's brother… we'd constantly be competing… that's annoying, and too much effort."

"Hehe, okay okay I'm sorry." Akemi smiled at her sibling. "Oh anyway, about Willow Lake…"

* * *

 _Two and a half months into the Closed Beta:_ _Willow Lake – 44_ _th_ _Floor_

Black Fox stood waiting at the dungeon gate, wondering where White Fox was. This was the final part of their summoner quest to attain their 3rd level summons, and she was taking forever to get here. But then she heard White Fox walking her way, talking with someone. Black Fox glared at the man who walked into view with her friend. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Black Fox~!" White Fox latched onto her friend. "This is Florien~ He's a summoner like us~"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Black Fox." He took her hand and kissed the back of it, but Black Fox felt uneasy about him… "White Fox has told me much about you~"

"… I wish I could say the same." She replied simply. "Are you running this dungeon with us as well, then?" she questioned.

"Yes, I suppose I am." He smiled. His smile made her cringe internally; something was most definitely not right about this man. But, White Fox seemed to trust him… so she would, at least for this dungeon. She turned to open the door and sighed. "Let's go then."

* * *

 _Akemi's Apartment – 10pm_

Akemi opened her eyes and removed the Nerve Gear, looking quite upset. "The hell, Hiwa." She picked up her phone and sent her friend a message. "What the hell are you thinking? Don't lead on older guys in game, they'll want to meet IRL and get in your pants." She sent it, practically fuming. Hiwa had been straight up flirting with Florien when they finished the dungeon and gotten to the 45th floor. Akemi didn't understand, was she playing games? Was she just messing around because Hibiya wasn't really making a move on her? Either way, Akemi was getting really fed up about Hiwa's behavior. She got a message soon after, but it wasn't from Hiwa.

"Akemi, Hiwa's acting really weird, call me, I need to know what's up." It was from Takuto, Hiwa's older brother. She sighed, dialing the older boy's number and waiting for a response. "Akemi, sorry for bugging you I know it's kind of late-"

"It's fine, Takuto… what the hell is going on with your sister? She's acting weird."

"Weird how?"

"She started flirting with this guy in Willow Lake, a summoner named Florien… I don't know the handle, but he's obviously older by at least a good 6 or 7 years, if not more." She stated. "It's like she's completely disregarding Hibiya and it's pissing me off."

"No way, seriously?" Takuto sighed, ruffling his hair. "What the heck, she's had that crush on Hibiya since the 5th grade, why is she going off and flirting with another dude?" Takuto was fairly laid back about the age thing, though. "It's not so much that I care he's older, it's just not like her to do stuff like that."

"Exactly." Akemi stated. "And Hibiya's been off doing all his own quests so I don't know where he is and I don't want to bring it up at school… besides, if Hiwa finds out I talked to him, she's gonna get all weird and jealous like she always does…"

"Want me to talk to him?"

"If you could, at least find out if he knows anything about why Hiwa's doing stupid stuff." She stated. "Hibiya's pretty aware of himself and what he does around her, so if anything happened between them, I think he would know…"

"Got it… I'll let you know when I find out."

"Thanks… and Takuto."

"Yes?"

"Make sure your sister knows I'm pissed. This isn't kosher, it's sitting badly with me."

"Hah, got it Akemi." He replied. "I'll make sure she knows. G'night."

"Night." She hung up, nearly tossing her phone across the room. "Hiwa… the hell are you doing?" she asked, laying down to sleep, only to end up staring at her phone waiting for her friend to return her message… but she never did.

* * *

 _Hiwa and Takuto's Apartment –_

Takuto stared at his phone for a minute before he looked to his bedroom door. Hiwa had been acting weird recently, like she had stopped caring about school or much of anything except this game. She wouldn't even spend time at dinner with conversation unless it was about Willow Lake… He sighed, ruffling his own hair again. "Damn it, Hiwa… what are you doing?" he put his phone down and laid back on his bed. He'd have a word with his little sister in the morning over breakfast… maybe knowing her best friend was upset would snap her out of her headspace and make her realize what she was doing? But… then again, Hiwa did love to do things her own way… He pulled his laptop onto his bed and began searching the game forums for this guy's handle. Florien, he had to know about this guy… no one, not even Hibiya was gonna get with his sister without thorough investigation. And Takuto was a huge name in gaming, so if he made inquiries someone would answer. Noir was famous… that made it easy. But with his sister, things had become different. Hiwa was drifting and there was no explanation for it. So Takuto had to find out what was going on. He stayed up for hours, investigating this guy, but nothing substantial came up. By 5am, he called it quits and decided to pick it up in a couple of hours, after he'd made breakfast and taken a nap.

* * *

 _Willow Lake – Next Evening, Floor 45_

Black Fox was still brooding over the night before, Hiwa having not logged on for one reason or another. Black Fox was thinking about just logging out for the night when Kirito arrived and they noticed one another. "You got her quick." She smiled mischievously. "Miss me?"

"N-no." he averted his gaze a little. "I was just stopping in for some repairs to my weapon is all." He looked back at her shyly and her heart started to beat a little faster. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I WAS waiting for White Fox… but it looks like she ditched me tonight." She shrugged. "I was just gonna wait around here… maybe explore the scenery for once… I've pretty much been on the move non stop since the last time we met."

"Oh, ok… well since I gotta wait for my weapon, do you want to walk around with me?" he asked. He was so innocent in asking, Black Fox smiled.

"Sure." She was happy he asked. "But~" she mentally slapped herself but she wrapped her arm around his waist. "Are you sure that's all you wanna do?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he blushed, she could see it. It made her smile. "C-c'mon let's go." He said, heading to the repair shop and letting Black Fox trail alongside him. Once he dropped off his weapon, they headed out to see the town. "I see why they named it Grandure City." He said, the building almost like skyscrapers in a way. Everything was so ornate and tall… the streets were lined with fancy light posts and beautiful glass-window shops.

"It reminds me of a mid 20th century European city…" Black Fox said. "It's beautiful." Kirito hadn't seen her look so pleased in a while… she had seemed rather off recently. Had she had some sort of falling out with her partner? "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing…" he shook his head. "It's just that I didn't think you would be so interested in the scenery."

"Well, one reason I play a game is for good graphics." She smiled. "And diversity is good too…" she looked at the sky, seeing the colors change to dark. "… I dunno, does that make me sound like a nerd?" she asked, chuckling a little.

"No." he shook his head. "It's nice to see someone appreciates the graphics as much as you do… I guess… a lot of people just take it for granted." He didn't admit that he was one who did that often. "It's… refreshing."

"Is it?" she smiled. "Well, I'm glad you don't find it odd." They continued to walk together, talking about things as they went. Mostly about how they'd been since their last meeting, and what they planned to do next. When they were ready to log out, they said their goodbyes and promised to meet up again before the 4 month Beta was over. But when Kirito logged out, Black Fox felt someone watching. She turned to see Florien, a chill running up her spine. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." He smirked. She hated that smirk. "I just thought I'd come and see how you were doing without your partner." He chuckled, staring at her with that look… she didn't understand what was so off putting, it just bothered her. But Florien didn't care. He slid his hand over the girl's exposed shoulder, licking his lips. "You're much more endowed than White Fox is… Do you perhaps, want to have some fun instead of hanging around that kid?"

"Back the hell off." Black Fox stated, trying not to show weakness. She hated being touched, and because this game had a sensor feature she could feel his hand on her. She wanted so badly to run. But she maintained her cold façade. "And you'd better keep your hands off of White Fox."

"Oooh, how scary… I see what she meant by you being like a big sister." He laughed. "Well, maybe you'll come around." He walked past her, being sure to brush by her as he did. "Goodnight, my harbringer of Bad Luck." At that Black Fox froze, turning to watch him leave. Why had he called her that? She felt her breathing get heavy and she was highly disturbed. She couldn't log out fast enough.

* * *

 _Akemi's Apartment –_

Akemi bolted from her bed, feeling extremely upset. What did Florien mean by that… was he referring to her Black Fox handle? No, he seemed to know something… like he'd been let in on her real life secrets… had Hiwa said something? Did he know her from school? Who was he? She curled up into a ball, trying to calm herself down. "… I'm not… bad luck…" she felt her tears running down her cheeks. "I'm not… I'm not bad luck…" she shook her head, burying her face in her pillow. "… Mama… I'm sorry…" she cried. She continued to cry until someone called her phone, calming herself down as quickly as she could before answering. "Hello?"

"Akemi? Are you okay?" It was Takuto. "Do you want me to call back later?"

"No, I'm fine." She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "What is it Takuto?"

"I couldn't find anything on Florien, but I talked to Hiwa… she said she was tired of waiting for Hibiya, so she just decided to try out flirting with other people." He stated, sounding dissatisfied with the answer. "But she heard you were mad and she said she'd make it up to you as soon as she could."

"She already ditched me tonight."

"I heard. But she promised, and you know she keeps those without fail."

"… yeah." She sighed, feeling herself shaking a little still.

"… Hey."

"What?"

"If you need someone to talk to, like if bad stuff happens, I'm here for you to talk to… you're like a sister to me too, okay?" he said, knowing something was up. "Besides, if you don't let it out, someone's gonna start making up rumors."

"… I know."

"So talk it out, okay? If not with me then with someone else… but do it."

"… okay…"

"Good." She could almost see him grinning. "G'night Akemi."

"… goodnight…" she let him hang up and stared at the wall for a minute before she put her phone down on the night stand. Takuto was good about calming her down, he was so reassuring… A lot like her cousin, Ayaori… only Aya was a lot more blunt and he was never one to sugar coat anything… he came off as mean to a lot of people, but Akemi knew the sweeter side to the boy. He was kind… she began to think and her mind wandered to Kirito, face coloring a little. "Ahhh, stop it." She told herself. "No thinking about boys before sleep." She told herself as she laid down for bed. "… maybe tomorrow will be a better day…" she told herself before turning out her light.

* * *

((Haha, chapter's up~ ; v ; I guess I'm kind of still on a roll...

I hope you all enjoy this new chapter~ I hope I can keep up this pace for at least a few more days~

Please look forward to next time, because I have a surprise in store for you all~

-Winter Cheshire))


	5. Chapter Four - Potential First

**Level 4: Potential First**

* * *

 _Willow Lake – Floor 55 – 3.5 weeks until Beta Closes_

Black Fox stood in hidden dungeon chamber, alone, having just taken out a huge swarm of monsters on her own. White Fox and Florien had gone ahead, Black Fox having been caught in a trap after the two vanished from sight. She received her reward for the triumph, staring at it for a long time. She was still worried about Hiwa and what was going on with Florien, since he was constantly finding her and harassing her when she was alone… She hated it. She just sighed, accepting the reward before she moved forward to go looking for a way out. But she couldn't find a way out, grumbling to herself and looking at the clock. She was supposed to go and see her cousin today… Aya had called her out to a meeting, so she needed to get going soon if she didn't want to be late. She took about 15 minutes to find her way out, and as soon as she was on the next level, she made sure her progress was logged before she exited the game.

* * *

 _Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture -_

A boy wearing black skinny jeans, a dark red shirt, and a black jacket with white stripes stood in front of a coffee shop, waiting. His black shoes were heavy looking, and he wore black framed glasses. Even when being slightly bent over, he was tall. His black hair hung low on his face, causing his eyes to be partially blocked. He noticed someone heading his way, sighing as he glared a little. "You're late, Ake-nee."

"Sorry, Aya." She clapped her hands together and bowed her head. "I was in game trying to get out of a dungeon, I'm soooo sorry!"

"… Whatever… you're buying now." He grumbled, opening the door for her as she headed inside.

"I thought I was paying anyway?" she blinked. "You said you found something right? On Florien?" she smiled. "I'm paying you for your hard work~"

"… Weirdo… whatever, order your stuff." He said, making her go first. "I want the usual."

"Okay Aya~" Akemi smiled as her cousin went to get them a seat. She stepped up to the counter and ordered three types of cake slices, a couple of little pastries, and two strawberry milk teas, the woman at the counter nodding and typing in the order as Akemi pulled out her money, not even bothering to wait for the register to tell her how much it was. "Keep the change." She bowed her head before going to join Ayaori at the table. "You know…"

"If you're going to tell me she likes me, don't." he replied curtly. "I don't like her."

"Oh Aya, you're so mean." Akemi sighed, smiling at her cousin. "Anyway, so what did you find out?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the table, staring at her cousin as he pulled out his phone. She hadn't told anyone about how much of a creep Florien was being because she didn't want to worry them. Ayaori pulled something up, handing his cell to Akemi.

"I found that on a forum for a different game… his handle was exactly the same but this was a long time ago… I don't know if it's the same person, but he was being really creepy to this one girl and she ended up committing suicide." He said in a hushed tone, letting her read the forum post. "He hasn't been creeping on you, has he?"

"… I'm more worried about what he's doing to Hiwa." She responded, handing the phone back. "How did you find it?" she asked.

"I was just doing a forum search." He replied, noting their order being prepped behind the counter. When their number was called, he made Akemi sit back down and went to get the tray, hardly even giving the girl a glance or a thank you as he took it, sitting back down at the table and making sure everything was arranged so they could share the tray. "… You have bags under your eyes."

"Ahaha, do I?" she asked. "I've been trying to get as far as I can on the beta so I've been kind of staying up late." She rubbed the back of her neck. Ayaori seemed to know, but he didn't ask. "Anyway… how have you been?" she asked, biting into her cake. "Aunty said you were being scouted for beta testing. Did you accept anything yet?"

"No… none of those games are challenging." He shook his head. Ayaori was only 16 years old, but he was already being scouted by gaming companies for beta testing opportunities. But Aya was not going to give unless he felt like he was going to enjoy the game. "They're all so basic, it's pathetic."

"Haha, even if they paid you?"

"No way I want to get paid for being bored, that's stupid." He bit into his cake, making Akemi smile at him. "… besides, mom doesn't want me living that way…"

"I don't blame her." Akemi sipped at her drink. "Believe me, I know that living job to job like that is no way to do it." She shook her head. She had tried once… she almost couldn't pay her rent on the apartment. "If you go for a gaming job, make sure it's in house and that you have a steady flow of work."

"Yeah yeah…" Aya finished his cake, moving on to a small pastry. "… So how's Willow Lake? Makoto kept grumbling that you got to play."

"He's only grumbling cause he's not feeling good… they won't let him dive if he's still feeling unwell." She stated. "Besides, if he's still coughing, he shouldn't be laying back all the way." She waved her fork at him. "And it's a good game, thanks for asking… surprised you didn't want to play it."

"I was studying for exams, no way mom would've let me beta for a game in the middle of exams." He grumbled. "You're lucky your school does exams early…"

"They only do it early because we have to start doing college prep classes. In all honesty, if the beta had opened any later, I would have had to say no. And I took breaks from the game to keep my grades up during exams so I could play hard and finish at as high a level as I could." She explained, Ayaori rolling his eyes. "Hey, don't give me that." She pulled on his cheek, causing him to do the same to her. "Leghoooooo."

"Yoo legghoo." The two let go at the same time, giving one another a short glare before Akemi laughed and Ayaori averted his gaze. "You're so weird." He rubbed his now sore cheek. "I feel sorry for whoever dates you."

"You'd sooner get mad and nit-pick everything about them." She pointed out as she finished her cake, giving Aya the third slice. "You have practice this afternoon, eat." She stated, Ayaori chewing on the end of his straw. "Don't do that, you'll be eating plastic if you chew on it." She scolded, pushing the cake to him as he stared at her.

"… Thanks." He mumbled in the smallest voice he could, digging into the cake as Akemi ate her small pastry. "Sorry for the trouble."

"It's not trouble…" she said. "… I guess this is me trying to compensate for not being able to do this with Makoto… once he gets out of the hospital I'm gonna spoil him rotten."

"… He's gonna get fat unless he gets back into kendo or something."

"You kidding? He's just like you, he burns calories like no tomorrow." She chuckled. "I'm the one who's getting fat." She finished her pastry. Aya looked up at her and stared, eyes wandering over her. "What?"

"10 percent goes to your thighs, the rest goes to your boobs, Ake-nee." He stated, making Akemi gawk at him before she laughed. "Shut up, it's true."

"Haha, I guess I should be thankful you're so blunt." She said, grinning. "Thanks, Aya…"

"Whatever." He finished his food and chugged the rest of his drink before taking the rubbish to be tossed and waiting for Akemi to follow, the older girl smiling and following him out.

* * *

 _Willow Lake – Floor 56_

Black Fox was back online, and to her surprise, so was Hibiya. She tracked him down and found him in the Level 56 training area, going over to him and nearly getting shot by his weapon. "Holy-! Hibiya what the hell?!"

"Black Fox… S-sorry." He looked kind of shaken, his hand trembling as he removed his finger from the trigger. "How have you been?" His smile was so dull and listless… It made Black Fox sigh.

"You look like hell… did Hiwa dump you or something?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he tried to avoid the subject, but he knew it was impossible. "… She's just… taking some time, right? I-I didn't screw up did I?"

"Hardly." Black Fox said. "Come on… we'll go talk somewhere else." She said, seeing some other players training. They headed to the level's pub, taking a seat away from the other players. "… So what have you heard?"

"Only that she's been hanging around that Florien guy… Taku-chi didn't say anything else." He sighed. "Do I really look that bad?"

"Like a ghost." She pat his back, ordering him some sustenance, noting how low his stamina meter was. "Don't worry though… I'm gonna knock some sense into her next time I see her."

"… okay." He nodded, thanking her for the food when it arrived, but otherwise they were fairly quiet. They parted ways and Black Fox decided to log out a little early tonight, to try and sleep since Aya had pointed out her obvious lack of sleep. She logged out, not noticing the red eyes of a certain player watching her, sighing as he grumbled about her vanishing before he could have any fun.

* * *

 _Akemi's Apartment -_

Akemi opened her eyes and checked the clock. 10pm… reasonable. But as she removed her Nerve Gear, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was Takuto. "Hello?"

"Akemiiiiiii." The elongated syllable let her know immediately that he had been drinking. "I haaaaaate confrontation…"

"… You fought with Mikan again, I take it?" Mikan was Takuto's girlfriend of 2 years, and currently making her mark on the gaming world as a young female pro player. Mikan was about 1 year older than Takuto, who was currently 21. "Don't drink, you idiot. That's not healthy."

"But Hiwa ran off somewhere and I'm all aloooooneeeeee. Come seeeee meeeeee, pleeeeaseeeee?" He begged. Akemi sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose before grabbing her glasses.

"Wait 30 minutes."

"Okaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy." She heard something hit what sounded like a couch. "I'm waaaaaaaaaaiiiitinnnnng." He slurred, burying his face against a pillow. She put her phone down but on speaker so if he said anything, she could respond. She went to change to something warm and reasonable for travelling at this hour, wrapping herself up well in a v-neck sweater, leggings, a skirt, a coat, and her scarf, grabbing her wallet and picking her phone back up before grabbing her keys off the desk, heading out and locking the door behind herself.

* * *

 _Takuto and Hiwa's Apartment -_

When Akemi arrived at Takuto's apartment, she knocked. After 5 minutes with no response, she fished out their key from her pocket, which Hiwa gave her so that if Takuto ever did this while she was in game or out, that Akemi would be able to get in and help her brother out. "Takuto?"

"Aaaaaakeeeeeemiiiiiiiii." Takuto's arm came up from the couch, waving at the girl from his horizontal position. "Come closerrrrrrrrrrrrr~"

"You sound creepy, stop that." She scolded, closing and locking the door before she went to get him some water. "Where did Hiwa go?"

"Ouuutttt." He sat up and almost fell off the couch. "Akeeeemiiiiiii, no waaaatttaaaaa…"

"Shut up, Takuto." She said, walking over and pushing the cup towards him. "Drink. If you spill I'll slap you." She surveyed the space, seeing at least 6 cans of beer and an extra large, half-empty bottle of bargain brand sake. "Oh cripes, you were mixing too?" she grumbled, going to make him a something to eat so he could burn off the alcohol, knowing he might very well get sick and get fired if he came to work with a hangover. She was also aggravated that Hiwa was not there to take care of her own brother. Akemi had called her classmate over and over, but every time it went to voice mail. "Hiwa, what are you doing?" she asked as she chopped some carrots for Miso soup.

"Akeeeeemiiiii~!" the girl squeaked when she felt Takuto's weight on her shoulder, the boy having hugged her haphazardly in his drunken state. "You're soooooo good to meeeeee." He nuzzled her back. "Be my wiiiiiiiifeeeeeeee."

"No." she said simply. "Your wife is Aria." She stated, using Mikan's gaming handle since she knew he wouldn't want to hear her real name right now.

"She's a-"

"If you use profanity I'll knock you unconscious."

"Nmmnnn…" he hugged her tighter as she continued to cook.

"Go sit down."

"Nooooo." He shook his head, clinging to her tighter. "Hiwa's not heeereeee… I need hugssssss."

"… troublesome." She sighed, making sure he wasn't going to get hurt while she put the ingredients in a pot, then once that was done, she moved him back to the couch and made him sit, going back to tending the soup. When it was done, Takuto was already sobering up a little, Akemi having made him eat some senbei with his water.

"Sorry Ake…" Takuto's face was still flushed red, but his speech had mostly gone back to normal. He sat there with a hand over his face as Akemi served him some soup. "Didn't mean to call…"

"It's fine… I'm assuming you and Mikan were pretty angry though… for you to drink that much." She said, placing the bowl down and sitting next to him.

"… I said sumthin' stupid…" he sighed, looking to the girl who sat on the couch with him. "… You're sleepy…" he picked up his soup and drank it all down in one go, minus the carrots. He never did eat carrots…

"Yeah well." She shrugged and closed her eyes. "Can't help that."

"Sorry…" she heard him move on the couch, feeling it shifting… she opened her eyes and gasped, seeing Takuto practically moving to be on top of her. He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers, but it was so brief Akemi didn't even react. "… Sorry…" he leaned the other way and passed out. Akemi stared at him for a minute, collecting herself before she grabbed her things and left after making sure the stove was off, the light was out, and the leftover soup in the fridge. She covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't believe that Takuto had just done that… but the touch was so light she almost didn't know if he had done it or not. "… Does that count?" she asked herself, heading for her Aunt's house rather than her own. She couldn't be alone right now, her mind would wander… and she needed advice. She made it to the house, calling Ayaori to let her in since he was always awake at this hour. The blackette let his cousin in, sitting on the couch with her and letting her babble on and talk out what had happened, the girl ending up crying herself to sleep from all the stress and insecurity. Aya stayed with her all night, ending up passing out himself at around 3am, not long after she'd fallen asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Ayaori woke to the smell of breakfast, seeing Akemi in the kitchen cooking as his mother came out, cheerfully saying hello to her niece and going over to Aya to confirm that she'd been here since the night before. "Is she okay?"

"… Stressed… that's all." He mentioned nothing of what Akemi had told him.

"Well, make sure you take care of her, okay? I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Right." He let his mother tousle his hair before she left, sighing as he went to check on his brothers, who were both still asleep. He returned to the kitchen to see Akemi smiling at him. "What are you smiling for?"

"Nothing… thanks for last night."

"… No problem… did you tell Takuto to get over himself and talk to Mikan?"

"Yeah… told him he needed to stop being an idiot… didn't tell him the rest though."

"Why not?"

"Would you want to tell your best friend's older brother they kissed you in a drunken stupor when you aren't even sure they did?" she asked, turning back to her cooking. Ayaori sighed, going to the fridge to pour some juice. "Besides… it's fine…"

"You're okay with it?"

"Not okay so much as accepting." She stated, plating the eggs that were in the pan and handing the plate to Ayaori, the rice cooker going off and the other things that she had cooked already on plates on the counter. "Go eat. You have to go to kendo right?"

"… right." He mumbled, watching her work hard for a little while before he began to eat, wondering if his cousin was just trying to be strong or if she had accepted the facts after she had spilled her emotions to him the night before. But he wouldn't pry… she knew he was there for her, so he'd just let her do as she pleased.

* * *

Once Ayaori's mother had returned and the twins had eaten, Akemi wandered a bit before heading to the grocery store. On the way there, she noticed a young man walk by her, eyes widening. She turned to watch him walking away, noting that he was carrying what looked like a bag of snacks. He didn't seem like he went out much, though… she smiled a little and turned on a heel, heading back towards her destination. "I guess… you are still here after all…" she smiled to herself, recognizing the boy from a memory. "That explains a lot I guess… you look the same, even after all this time." She now walked with a spring in her step that was hardly noticeable. "Thank you… Kirito-" she paused for a moment. "… Kazuto-kun…"

* * *

((A new chapter, a new connection~ o v o

Hope you all enjoyed reading~ I still greatly appreciate reviews if anyone wants to take the time to write one ; v ;'''

Here is proof that Akemi remembered Kazuto from before Ryuuko started up *~ u o

Please look forward to the final installment of this story coming up next time~ (since I decided to only make it 5 chapters)

-Winter Cheshire))


	6. Chapter 5 - Waiting

**Level 5: Waiting**

* * *

It was the last day of the Beta, and Black Fox had agreed to meet Kirito on the 1st floor for a little reunion of sorts. It had been a long day for the girl, having finally talked some form of sense into her partner, mended Takuto's relationship with Mikan by literally forcing them to sit and talk about it, and clearing the 57th Dungeon to make it to the 58th floor. Not a bad day's work. Upon arriving at the meeting place on the 1st floor, she noticed that Kirito had changed his look a little. He was still wearing the long black coat and stuff, but he was carrying a different sword. "What happened to the last sword?"

"Broke it during a fight with a dungeon Boss..." he replied, looking bothered. "This was my spare, and to go on the quest to get the material for a new one would've taken all of today... figured I should enjoy the last day in a not so intense way." he looked up at her. "What floor did you manage to get to?" he asked as they headed to get some food.

"I got to level 58. You?"

"What, seriously?" he slumped. "I only got to 57..."

"Haha, well I WAS kind of getting help recently since White Fox finally decided to stop ditching me." she smiled. "I bet you've been going solo ever since I last saw you on the 45th floor." she added with a chuckle. "So technically you're further along than I am."

"... Yeah I guess... wanted to get to a higher level though..."

"Well, we can say we're better prepared than most." she opened the map, showing it to him. "We're two of the only players to get past level 54. There are 8 of us total out of all the beta testers."

"... Still doesn't help." he sat down in the pub and looked at Black Fox as she pulled out a bottle of Veggie spread. She handed it to him. "... for me?"

"I figured since you asked to meet here, you'd want some. I picked up plenty." she ordered the same thing as before, bread and some sliced meat. "So go ahead and eat up."

"Thanks." he nodded, waiting for the food to arrive before he began to eat, chatting with Black Fox about all the skills and stuff each had picked up or gotten rewarded with after defeating an NPC or a dungeon monster. They talked for hours, polishing off 5 jars of veggie spread and enjoying themselves, spending their money since it would all be gone once the beta shut down. It seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves and that the air was full of energy. When the System Maintenance Alert went out, everyone knew it wasn't long before the server would close down. Black Fox walked with Kirito outside, enjoying the quaint streets of the 1st floor. "It's ending..."

"Just for a while." Black Fox said as they walked. "... In a few months, the real thing will come online..." she seemed happy about that, Kirito looking to her and noticing that she seemed much happier than before. She turned to him, causing him to lock eyes with her. "When the real one comes online... will I see you there?"

"Of course." he nodded. She nodded back, smiling a little more genuinely than he was used to seeing. "... We can meet up I guess..."

"That sounds fun~" she looked at the sky, the darkness littered with tiny white lights. "... Ne, Kirito...?"

"Hm?"

"... Ah, nevermind... sorry..." she heard the timer calling for the 5 minute mark. "Better go." she said, opening her control panel. "See you in 4 months." she waved before she logged out, Kirito waving goodbye as she went. He then proceeded to log out himself, taking one last look at the town before hitting the accept button and returning to reality.

* * *

 _Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture – 10:30pm_

Akemi was fixing up her room, feeling like things were going to go very slowly the next 4 months. College Prep courses and no game meant she had no means of escaping from it. But she didn't mind much at the moment. Makoto was coming home for at least a week, since he was feeling better. She hoped he would stay longer, but knowing his health wasn't so stable she didn't get her hopes up too far. "So long as I can make him some good food~" she told herself as she put her Nerve Gear away, opening her laptop up and looking for her mother's recipes so Makoto could come home to a nice meal. She heard her phone ring, picking it up without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Akemi."

"... What do you want?"

"Are you making sure Makoto is doing his homework?"

"Like you ever gave a damn..."

"Akemi, that is no way to speak to your-" the girl hung up and turned off her phone. She put her computer down and stared at the cellular device in her hand, gripping it so hard that the was cutting off blood to certain parts of her fingers.

"You are NOT part of this family... You won't ever be again, if you don't even come home to see Makoto." she muttered, throwing her phone down on the bed and covering her face with her hands. "... I hate you..." she felt herself shaking, tears coming to her eyes. "I hate you..."

* * *

Takuto had talked his sister into having dinner with him, the girl seeming much less isolated than she had been. Takuto was even able to talk with her about things that DIDN'T involve gaming. "So, brother~" she smiled, making him look up at her. "Did Ake-chan tell you to talk to me?"

"She was worried... I heard from her that she gave you one hell of a beating in game cause she was mad at you..."

"Haha, she did~ It was fun~" she replied cheerfully. "I can never have a good smack down fight with anyone in game except Akemi~" she put a hand to her cheek as she bit into an egg roll. "And she told me she forced you to sit down and talk to Mikan~ How did it go~?"

"We're mostly patched up..." he smiled nervously. "But she needs some space so I'll talk to her again after she's done with the competition she's in right now."

"Oooh, sounds like you're manning up~ I'm so proud of you, big brother~" she smiled, nodding her head. "I'm glad I'll get some nieces and nephews in a few years after all~"

"H-hey, shut up!"

* * *

A man with dark brown hair sat up from his bed and sighed, looking annoyed. "Stupid Black Fox, always getting in my way." he grumbled. "I'll have to just use the data I managed to pull from White Fox now... can't use the real thing..." he shook his head. He sent off an email to a few recipients. "We have 4 months to get online. Don't mess up." He smirked as he opened his phone and logged onto a gaming forum for Willow Lake's Beta, seeing a notice that it would be closed down and the countdown clock saying 10 minutes. He wrote a short post, signing his gaming handle as he watched the clock tick down. At 2 minutes to go, he sent it in.

"The blade shall fall, striking down all who oppose me. - Florien"

* * *

Ayaori sat in his room, staring at the ceiling as his brothers slept in their own room, the blackette seeming exhausted. He had gone through a number of incidents of people trying to recruit him for beta testing games he wasn't interested in playing. But as he was about to sleep, he got an email from a handle he didn't recognize from his list. But he did know it... Aria was a female player sweeping the nation. He sat up and read the message, eyes going wide. "How would you like to do me a favor? I'm gathering some people to include in an in house beta test for a game coming out in a couple of years called Rise of the Autumn Moon. Why did I mail you, you ask? Easy. Cause you're someone I can trust. You're close to someone I know IRL. So what do you say? You in?" He stared for a minute, reading over the attached sheet that included information on payments that would be received should one say yes to the invitation.

"... Guess Akemi was right..." he said, sending a message back with a simple yes as the reply. "Her gaming circle is getting bigger and better..."

* * *

A girl with long blonde hair smiled, having received a quick, simple response from one of the people she'd just messaged. "Awesome~ I'm gathering an army of some of the best players to test this game out~! Even Ake-chi's cousin~! I can't believe how awesome this is going to be." she grinned, spinning around in her chair. She closed her email window and smiled, seeing a red-haired avatar with a super intricate costume design on screen. "We're gonna be amazing, Aria... We're gonna be the best~!" she fist pumped into the air, only to end up falling out of her seat. "Owwwwww." she rubbed the back of her head. "That hurt..." she sat up again, looking at the time. "Taku-chi's not coming over cause of dinner with Hiwa... boo." she stuck her tongue out a little. "Hana's busy too... No one fun to play games with..." she pouted. "I need someone to keep me entertained..." she sat up and picked up her nerve gear. "Time to go fight some baddies." she told herself, grinning. "Virtual World, prepare to get your butt kicked!" she exclaimed, plugging herself in.

* * *

Kazuto Kirigaya sat up in his bed, sighing as he unplugged. He'd been laying there for a while, just taking in the fact that the Willow Lake Beta was over. It was going to be 4 months until the public release of Ryuuko - Fallen Blade would come out. The name was announced this morning on the Boards, and everyone was buzzing about it. This game was changing the face of VRMMOPGs, and he'd gotten a chance to Beta for it... he took a breath and stared at his Nerve Gear on the shelf. 4 months till he could get back into this game... 4 months of boring life... He was dreading it. But something made him smile. Black Fox was going to be there... and though he did love to play solo, that black-clad avatar had made things... interesting. He got up and went to eat something, his mind wandering a little and wondering what kind of girl she really was. He sighed. "Whatever... she's a good fighter, that's all I need to know."

* * *

((It's complete! ; 7 ; Ahahaha-

So this prequel thing is finished, I think I'm back on track for writing the main story~

I hope you all liked it~ ; u ;

-Winter Cheshire))


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